FEMA puts Cedar Grove’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cedar Grove gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, #575 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (87%). Flood insurance has paid 156 claims here since 1982.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Cedar Grove’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Cedar Grove faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Cedar Grove’s grade
Hurricanes are 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in Cedar Grove, and Cedar Grove’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 10% (lower than 94% of U.S. census tracts).
D #575 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Cedar Grove’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Florida town has higher expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Cedar Grove has more expected damage per building than 90% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.6M a year in losses across Cedar Grove: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Cedar Grove flood? Yes: 156 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cedar Grove, from FEMA’s records: 85.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Michael65 claims · $1.9M
- Tropical Storm Fred7 claims · $208K
- Hurricane Opal7 claims · $288K
Cedar Grove isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bay County.The storms Cedar Grove remembers
None of the 36 disasters declared for Bay County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Cedar Grove itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201865 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Michael, declared for Bay County
- 199823 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Georges, declared for Bay County
- 201321 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Bay County
Bay County has had 36 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Bay County, 1999–2022.
Old photos of Cedar Grove after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cedar Grove archive →Cedar Grove and its neighbors
Cedar Grove has the lowest expected damage per building of the 4 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Grove | Dmore damage than 95% | hurricanes | 156 |
| Panama City | D−more damage than 95% | hurricanes | 846 |
| Springfield | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 89 |
| Lynn Haven | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 625 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Cedar Grove faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Cedar Grove
Is Cedar Grove at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cedar Grove has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #575 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (87%) and river and rain flooding (10%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Cedar Grove flood?
Flood insurance has paid 156 claims in Cedar Grove since 1982, $3.7M in all, or 85.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Michael (65).
Is Cedar Grove in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Bay County, 67% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 17.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Cedar Grove?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cedar Grove’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Cedar Grove?
By flood claims, Hurricane Michael: 65 paid, $1.9M.
Is Cedar Grove at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and Cedar Grove’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cedar Grove.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cedar Grove’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.